Are we to avoid fasting on Sundays and Solemnities?

[Lead_Me_Home]

Today is the Solemnity of All Saints. If people were fasting before voting in the elections, should they not fast and observe today’s solemnity?

 

[puzzleannie]

there is no law about it if that is what you mean
the traditional practice is not to fast on Sundays and Solemnities, but since fasting before voting is an entirely private choice in any case, do whatever you want

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I can’t think of any rules/norms about this but would venture to say yes avoid fasting on Sundays and Solemnities as these are days of celebration rather than penitential days. (Even the Sundays in Lent are excluded from the 40 days of Lent.)

 

[Digitonomy]

(Even the Sundays in Lent are excluded from the 40 days of Lent.)

On the other hand, those Sundays have a more penitential character than “normal” Sundays - no flowers or Gloria, etc.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

On the other hand, those Sundays have a more penitential character than “normal” Sundays - no flowers or Gloria, etc.

Agreed but all Sundays are mini-Easters - celebrations of the Lord’s Resurrection.

 

[Digitonomy]

Agreed but all Sundays are mini-Easters - celebrations of the Lord’s Resurrection.

True. And that was my immediate reaction to the question at first, but then it occurred to me that the celebratory aspect of Sunday doesn’t always trump the penitential character of a season. IIRC, some of the Eastern churches have a Lenten fast that is reduced, but not entirely lifted on Sundays.

So in summary, I don’t have any firm answer either way for the OP - since it is personal devotion, I think whichever way he chooses is probably fine, so long as the celebratory aspect of Sunday is acknowledged. Which is pretty much what puzzleannie said.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

True. And that was my immediate reaction to the question at first, but then it occurred to me that the celebratory aspect of Sunday doesn’t always trump the penitential character of a season. IIRC, some of the Eastern churches have a Lenten fast that is reduced, but not entirely lifted on Sundays.

So in summary, I don’t have any firm answer either way for the OP - since it is personal devotion, I think whichever way he chooses is probably fine, so long as the celebratory aspect of Sunday is acknowledged. Which is pretty much what puzzleannie said.

I agree with you and puzzleannie. I believe anyone could fast and/or practise abstinence and/or perform some penitential act on any day. All I was suggesting is that it would be more normal to see Sundays as days of celebration. While during Lent we commemorate our Lord’s temptation, His Sufferings, His Passion, His Crucifixion, and His Death we always need to bear in mind that they were historical one-off events and now we can see these in light of His Glorious Resurrection and His conquering of death and sin.